You knew when Mo was coming in. You now know when Diaz is coming in too.
It's tough to not be a homer sometimes, but I must persevere. Can't just write about the Marlins, Heat, and Dolphins and be considered a somewhat-reliable source on other topics, right? Sometimes you have to venture outside the nest. This nutshell resides wayyyy outside the nest for me, 'cause I'm about to say something kinda nice about the other baseball team in New York. Some call them the "Mets."
If you squint real hard, closer Edwin Diaz has been looking a little Mariano Rivera-like, and the similarity involves more than just his performance.
Synonymous Walk-Out Song
Mariano Rivera is undoubtedly the greatest relief pitcher in the history of the game. He has no real rivals; his mix of dominance and consistency is simply unmatched. Mo was as automatic as it gets for two decades.
There was more to Rivera than that bat-shattering cutter of his, though. He had a mystique about him. This was fueled in part by him being unhittable, which is a given. But he had another element working in his favor, and that came from Metallica's "Enter Sandman," which roared through Yankee Stadium every time he took his slow jog from the bullpen to the mound. No one has ever been more synonymous with a walk-out song than Mariano was with "Enter Sandman." When you heard that song in Yankee Stadium, you knew the game would soon be over.
Edwin Diaz, although not on the level of Mariano Rivera, has a chance to become synonymous with Blasterjaxx & Timmy Trumpet's "Narco."
Well Done, Mets
The Mets have made the most out of Edwin Diaz's Citi Field entrance. "Narco" blasts out of those speakers. They time it perfectly. The whole crowd knows who's in the game as soon as they hear the trumpets; even the mascots have horns in their hands. It makes the hair on the back of your next stand up when you're watching it on TV. It must be even more electrifying in person.
Diaz has represented his bad ass walk out song well so far this season. He's on pace to save around 40 games and is striking out 16.4 batters per nine innings (he's struggled mightily over the past week, but is far too talented to not right the ship). "Narco" is not as cool as "Enter Sandman," and Edwin Diaz is not as good as Mariano Rivera.
But "Narco" is still pretty sweet. And Edwin Diaz is still pretty filthy. This pitcher and this song could be a lethal combo for years to come.